Victory (Penguin Books)

For its centennial, one of the most powerful and psychologically compelling novels from Joseph Conrad, author of Lord Jim and Heart of Darkness§§Axel Heyst, a dreamer and a restless drifter, believes he can avoid suffering by cutting himself off from others. He moves to a remote island in the Malay Archipelago to involve himself in the operation of a coal company, and when it fails, he turns his back on humanity even further. But when he rescues a young English girl, Lena, from Zangiacomo's Ladies' Orchestra and the evil innkeeper Schomberg, taking her to his island retreat, his life changes drastically. The pair's affair begins when Heyst rescues Lena, but as Lena struggles to save Heyst from detachment and isolation, we're made to question who really needs rescuing.§§Featuring one of Conrad's most interesting heroes, Victory is both a compelling tale of adventure and a perceptive study of the power of love.